Author: Precious Kilpatrick RN, MSN AGACNP-BC
Photo credit: Giammarco Boscaro
A visit to your doctor includes questions about your health history. It is an important aspect of the visit because it guides treatments, preventive care, and medications. Health history includes personal history, family history and lifestyle.
There may be reluctance to discuss health history with a doctor for several reasons ranging from privacy concerns to feelings of judgement. This is understandable. But think of sharing health information as partnering with your doctor to obtain the best outcome for your care.
Defining Health History
So, what exactly is a health history and why is it needed? Your health history includes your personal history, family history (mother, father, sister, brothers, etc.) and lifestyle. When you make an appointment to see a doctor, there is a list of conditions or diseases that you are asked to answer, ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Some conditions or diseases on the list include high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes and if you have had any procedures or surgeries. You are also asked about your family; do they have any of the conditions or diseases? The last set of questions ask about cigarette smoking/tobacco products or alcohol use and diet. These are lifestyle questions. The answers to these questions combined make up your health history.
There is a temptation to hurry through the questions because maybe you’re late or you don’t want to sit in the waiting room any longer than is necessary, and maybe you don’t see the point in this massive, seemingly intrusive list of questions.
What Role Does Health History Play?
What is the purpose of all these questions anyway? Why does the doctor need to know my mother had breast cancer or my father had sickle cell anemia?
There is a popular phrase that says, “history repeats itself.” It’s true. Not just world history, but your very own personal health history. Just like moments in history help to guide the future, so does your health history or the history of your family guide the future of your health care.
Reason Health History is Important
Your health history guides the answers to questions your doctor has:
Is there a disease? What disease? How can I treat it? Have other family members had the same disease? What should I screen this person for? What medications can I prescribe? What medications should I not prescribe? Are there allergies? Are there treatments that can’t be tolerated?
The more questions that can be answered, the more information it gives the doctor to be able to provide accurate and effective treatment.
For example, you tell your doctor that your mother was diagnosed with high blood pressure in her twenties. You are now around the same age she was at her diagnosis of high blood pressure and it is discovered that you have an elevated blood pressure reading during your visit. You tell the doctor you have had elevated readings for the last two weeks when you checked your blood pressure at the pharmacy kiosk. The family history you gave allows the doctor insight into your personal and your family history. It is now known that your case has roots in your family tree. Your doctor starts treatment and gives lifestyle recommendations instead of waiting. This helps decrease your risk of stroke and heart disease.
In another example, a young woman suffered with painful, heavy menstrual cycles, and painful sexual intercourse. She visited her gynecologist who tried many treatments for years, but relief never lasted. The young woman was diagnosed with endometriosis and had a hysterectomy. Years later, the young woman discovered her own mother and other women in her family suffered from endometriosis as well. It never occurred to anyone that this was health history that should have been shared. That information would have been instrumental in early treatment of the young woman’s condition and saved her from years of suffering.
Empowered Historian
We all are historians. We all have some history about ourselves that we have shared with others. But how can we be great health historians? It takes being intentional about our health information. Some things that you can do to be an empowered historian are:
Keep a list of health conditions. This includes dates of surgeries and procedures
Keep a list of current medications to include the doses and times you take them (include natural treatments or herbs and supplements)
Keep a list of your allergies
Technology has made it possible that we can digitally keep track of our health information. Whether you store it on your cell phone in a note or take screen shots of a digital record, it is helpful to compile the information in an easily accessible place. When you are asked, you have the information available.
Medication names and medical terminology can be quite daunting to remember. It’s a good practice to also have them written down or kept in a secure place on your mobile device. Update the information as new information becomes available.
Privacy concerns
It’s not always easy to talk with family members about their medical history. Some family members are very reluctant to give medical history for several reasons. It may be helpful to frame your search for information as trying to understand your own health through your family tree. You can assure them that you will not reveal any personal details; only what is necessary to help you understand and know your own health history.
Conclusion
The importance of knowing your health history is beneficial for your own personal health journey. It gives a roadmap for providing potential treatments. The questions asked by your doctor is a way to gather information that will provide guidance on your treatment plan, things to avoid and may even cut down on time spent discovering a treatment that will be effective. Knowing what conditions and diseases that exist in your family history can save time and frustration as you partner with your doctor. Keeping documentation on conditions, medications, and surgeries and is way of becoming an empowered historian when it comes to your personal health. Address privacy concerns with family members when asking about their health history. Talking to family members about their own conditions helps you to understand your own personal health history.
Sources
Nichol JR, Sundjaja JH, Nelson G. Medical History. [Updated 2024 Apr 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534249/
Importance of Health History in Diagnosis of an Acute Illness
Waller, Katherine C. et al
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, Volume 16, Issue 6, e83 - e84
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board